Different Methods, Different Standards? A Comparison of Two Finnish Reference Budgets

2021 ◽  
pp. 138826272110485
Author(s):  
Lauri Mäkinen
Keyword(s):  
Single Woman ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Consumer Society ◽  
Strong Basis ◽  
Minimum Income ◽  
Heterosexual Couple ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Right ◽  
Reference Budgets

According to Principle 14 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, everyone should have the right to adequate minimum income benefits that ensure a life in dignity. Reference budgets have been proposed to monitor this principle. Reference budgets are priced baskets of goods and services that represent a given living standard. At the moment, no common methodology for constructing reference budgets exists; instead, different methods are used to construct them. This study sought to compare the approaches and results of two Finnish reference budgets: one created by the Centre for Consumer Society Research (CCSR), and the second by the ImPRovE project. The purpose of the article is to respond to a gap in existing literature around how different methods for constructing reference budgets impact their outcomes. The two reference budgets offer a strong basis for comparison because they both sought to capture the same living standard in the same context for similar household types (single woman, single man, heterosexual couple, and heterosexual couple with two children), while using different approaches. The results suggest that the two reference budgets arrive at different estimates of what is needed for social participation. Ultimately, we found that the most significant differences between the budgets were housing and mobility costs for the couple with two children due to differences in information bases, selection criteria, evaluators, and pricing. The study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it is one of the first to explore how different approaches to constructing reference budgets affect their outcomes. The results suggest that clear criteria for constructing reference budgets are needed to monitor Principle 14 of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

scholarly journals The Benefit non-take-up in the Context of Cash Social Assistance Reform in Lithuania

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 96-121
Author(s):  
Tautvydas Vencius ◽  
Vitalija Gabnytė ◽  
Jekaterina Navickė
Keyword(s):  
Social Assistance ◽  
Growth Cycle ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
System Reform ◽  
Economic Cycle ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Minimum Income ◽  
Single Person ◽  
The Right ◽  
Annual Average Number

The purpose of this article is to present the results of cash social assistance (CSA) benefit non-take-up in the context of the CSA system reform in Lithuania. The right to adequate minimum income benefits is one of the 20 key principles under the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). Using the tax-benefit microsimulation model EUROMOD we seek to identify all those eligible to CSA benefit and to analyse its non-take-up rates in Lithuania. The analysis for 2016 showed that CSA benefit non-take-up in Lithuania was around 22%. This means that around one fifth of those who are entitled to this benefit do not get it for various reasons. The results show that there are two types of households, with a non-take-up rate exceeding 30%: single person and lone parent households. The dynamics of CSA benefit non-take-up between 2007-2016 were strongly negatively correlated to the annual average number of recipients of the CSA benefit. This makes for a counter-cyclical dynamic of the CSA non-take-up relative to the economic growth cycle. We find some evidence of an increase in the CSA non-take-up rate following the recent CSA reform in Lithuania. Further analysis is needed to distinguish between the effects of the economic cycle and the CSA reform.

An introduction to minimum income standards and reference budgets: international and comparative policy perspectives

2020 ◽  
pp. 3-24
Author(s):  
Christopher Deeming
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Minimum Income ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Policy Debates ◽  
Accessible Information ◽  
Protection Systems ◽  
Social Protection Systems ◽  
Budget Standards ◽  
Reference Budgets

This chapter gives an overview of the research in developing “minimum income standards” and “family budget standards,” “indicative budgets” and “standard budgets.” It analyzes goods and services that are considered necessary to reach a minimum standard of living for an individual or household within a given country context, region, or city. It also brings together up-to-date and accessible information and analysis in an effort to raise the profile and understanding of reference budget research. The chapter places minimum income standards at the heart of global social policy debates that focus on strengthening social protection systems. It also discusses reference budgets and minimum income standards research, covering different methodologies and approaches in relation to the implementation of policy and practice.

scholarly journals Violencia de género y efectividad de los derechos sociales. Posible protección a través de las políticas de rentas mínimas lato sensu | Gender Violence and Social Rights Effectiveness. Protection through Minimum Income Policies Lato Sensu in Spain

2018 ◽  
pp. 187
Author(s):  
David Vila Viñas
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Violence Prevention ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Autonomous Communities ◽  
Minimum Income ◽  
The Right ◽  
Socioeconomic Risk

Resumen: El derecho a una vida libre de violencia ha alcanzado importancia en la consideración jurídica de la violencia de género, al ajustarse mejor a las dinámicas de violencia de género. Desde este enfoque se pone la atención sobre qué protecciones materiales pueden ser factores preventivos de la violencia. En particular se exploran las vías de protección frente a la violencia desde las políticas de rentas mínimas lato sensu desde las Comunidades Autónomas. A pesar de la renovada importancia de estas políticas desde 2015, las reformas no han tenido en cuenta su capacidad para prevenir la violencia de género. Abstract: Through the relations between gender violence y socioeconomic risk factor, this paper analyzes if minimum income policies are able to contribute to gender violence prevention and to the effectiveness of the right to a life free of violence. After the affirmation of this possibility, the paper considers characteristics that this policies from Autonomous Communities should have in order to achieve these goals.

The Norwegian reference budget

2020 ◽  
pp. 185-196
Author(s):  
Marthe Hårvik Austgulen ◽  
Elling Borgeraas
Keyword(s):  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Individual Household ◽  
Household Budget ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Reference Budgets

This chapter discusses the expert-led and methodological approach to Norwegian reference budgets. It describes how experts deliberate across various consumption areas in order to identify the items to be included in the “acceptable” budget for Norway. It analyzes the experts' definition of quantity, quality, assumed durability, and the price of household goods and services. The chapter points out how a reference budget is constructed in a more generic form, resembling more of an individual household budget that can then be adjusted for different household types and economies of scale. It notes the conceptual confusions that caused some organisations to refer to the reference budgets as “minimum” budgets rather than budgets reflecting an “acceptable” living standard.

Applying the Minimum Income Standard in diverse national contexts

2020 ◽  
pp. 241-254
Author(s):  
Matt Padley ◽  
Abigail Davis
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Concerted Effort ◽  
Minimum Income ◽  
Goods And Services

This chapter analyzes some of the challenges associated with research work that applies the Minimum Income Standards (MIS) approach in different national contexts around the globe. It delves into the conception of minimum living standards across different country contexts that requires a concerted effort to establish how much is enough in each context. It also points out that the definitions of minimum living standards should not only reflect the values and norms of a given country, but also that these definitions should function as the basis for establishing consensus about the sorts of goods and services needed to achieve the minimum living standard. The chapter stresses how the MIS work across diverse contexts requires a certain level of “translation.” It investigates the MIS programme of research conducted in Mexico, Singapore and South Africa, which confirms that the “minimum” can have different meanings, connotations, interpretations, and even contestations.

Is There a Way Where There’s a Will? The Tensions between the Court’s Case Law and the Pillar in Delimiting Transnational Solidarity

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-539
Author(s):  
Ane Aranguiz ◽  
Miriam Quené
Keyword(s):  
Economic Status ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Equal Treatment ◽  
Social Benefits ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Minimum Income ◽  
European Citizenship ◽  
The Right ◽  
Transnational Solidarity ◽  
The Eu

Abstract European citizenship has often served as a proxy for political visions of far-reaching social integration within the EU. Over the last years, this has been challenged by a number of judgments of the CJEU, which appear to increasingly restrict the access of economically inactive mobile EU citizens to social benefits under the Citizens Directive. By contrast, the more recent European Pillar of Social Rights enshrines the right to a minimum income for all citizens of the Union, regardless of their economic status or the legality of their residence. This article aims to address the resulting asymmetry between the Pillar and the CJEU’s current interpretation of the Citizens Directive, examining whether and to what extent the former could influence the latter. In doing so, it will discuss the background, objectives and interpretation of the Citizens Directive’s right to equal treatment, examine the scope of the minimum income principle contained in the Pillar, and highlight the key differences between the two.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian MacNaughton ◽  
Mariah McGill
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Right To Health ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Limited Capacity ◽  
United Nations High Commissioner ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
High Commissioner ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
The Right

For over two decades, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has taken a leading role in promoting human rights globally by building the capacity of people to claim their rights and governments to fulfill their obligations. This chapter examines the extent to which the right to health has evolved in the work of the OHCHR since 1994, drawing on archival records of OHCHR publications and initiatives, as well as interviews with OHCHR staff and external experts on the right to health. Analyzing this history, the chapter then points to factors that have facilitated or inhibited the mainstreaming of the right to health within the OHCHR, including (1) an increasing acceptance of economic and social rights as real human rights, (2) right-to-health champions among the leadership, (3) limited capacity and resources, and (4) challenges in moving beyond conceptualization to implementation of the right to health.

Influence of Images in Online Reviews for Search Goods on Helpfulness

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-73
Author(s):  
Lars Osterbrink ◽  
Paul Alpar ◽  
Alexander Seher
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Choice ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Potential Interaction ◽  
Matched Pair ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Matched Pair Analysis ◽  
The Right ◽  
Pair Analysis ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractReviewing and rating are important features of many social media websites, but they are found on many e-commerce sites too. The combination of social interaction and e-commerce is sometimes referred to as social commerce to indicate that people are supporting each other in the process of buying goods and services. Rgeviews of other consumers have a significant effect on consumer choice because they are usually considered authentic and more trustworthy than information presented by a vendor. The collaborative effort of consumers helps to make the right purchase decision (or prevent from a wrong one). The effect of reviews has often been researched in terms of helpfulness as indicated by their readers. Images are an important factor of helpfulness in reviews of experience goods where personal tastes and use play an important role. We extend this research to search goods where objective characteristics seem to prevail. In addition, we analyze potential interaction with other variables. The empirical study is performed with regression analyses on 3,483 search good reviews from Amazon.com followed by a matched pair analysis of 186 review pairs. We find that images have a significant positive effect on helpfulness of reviews of search goods too. This is especially true in case of short and ambiguous reviews.

Economic and Social Rights, Budgets and the Convention on the Rights of the Child

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aoife Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Child Rights ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
Budget Analysis ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Significant Obstacle ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Relationship

Recent years have seen an explosion in methodologies for monitoring children’s economic and social rights (ESR). Key examples include the development of indicators, benchmarks, child rights-based budget analysis and child rights impact assessments. The Committee on the Right of the Child has praised such tools in its work and has actively promoted their usage. Troublingly, however, there are serious shortcomings in the Committee’s approach to the ESR standards enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which threaten to impact upon the efficacy of such methodologies. This article argues that the Committee has failed to engage with the substantive obligations imposed by Article 4 and many of the specific ESR guaranteed in the CRC in sufficient depth. As a result, that body has not succeeded in outlining a coherent, comprehensive child rights-specific ESR framework. Using the example of child rights-based budget analysis, the author claims that this omission constitutes a significant obstacle to those seeking to evaluate the extent to which states have met their ESR-related obligations under the CRC. The article thus brings together and addresses key issues that have so far received only very limited critical academic attention, namely, children’s ESR under the CRC, the relationship between budgetary decision-making and the CRC, and child rights-based budget analysis.

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